UPDATE: The 365 Day BHJ Fitness Regime
So The 365 Day BHJ Fitness Regime rages on and no one’s more surprised than me. I thought that post from last month would be a one time shot for sure, swept under the rug by the end of February. But March 1st marks the 60th day in a row that I’ve run at least a mile. So far, I’ve run 283 miles in 2010.
I hope I’m out of the woods in terms of the initial certainty that I was going to hurt myself. The second you tell someone you’re running every day, expect to hear about mandatory rest days and muscles needing to repair themselves. Well my muscles can stop being pussies. The human body is remarkably adaptive so it can either learn how to repair its muscles in 23 hours or go on feeling achy. Plus there’s a subversive element lurking throughout all of this that seeks injury.
A few people have joined the madness by either running every day or just doing SOMETHING. A friend of mine is jumping rope every day. The “Every Day” part is very important. It comprises half of The 365 Day BHJ Fitness Regime’s essence. To do something every day insures that you’ll do it on the days you don’t want to do it. You see there? Doing what you don’t want is exactly what we’re after. In fact, if you begin to like it too much, it’s time to switch up and find something you hate.
The second half of the Regime’s essence is always doing more than you’re able to do. For instance, my jump roping friend plans to jump rope every day for as long as he can. But what he needs to do is jump rope as long as he can plus 5 minutes. How this works for me is always running faster and more (the first week of January, I ran 18 miles. Last week I ran 43). I look for hills that are too steep. I plan impossible races that I can’t complete (a 50 miler this summer? A run from LA to NYC next summer?). I arrogantly tell people who are way fitter than me that I’m going to kick their asses in a half-marathon (which I’m going to, Corey and Kristin).
I’m toying with the structure of my desire. I want to want what I don’t want and to be torn apart in the maw of infinite regress.
See. The things that you want maintains a house called you. You can take care of your house and love it the way it is and it’ll stay the way it is. But there’s curious knowledge to be gained from ignoring or contradicting what you want. There’s a great big world just outside the door of your little house. You can strive to accept yourself or strive to change yourself but there’s no escape from striving. And only the latter firms up your ass.
It’s March 1. It’s never too late to start being someone else. Save your love for others.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Reader Comments (23)
you are complicated
You're motivating in such a fucked up and awesome way. I love it, totally, and I'm more determined than ever to kick your arrogant ass.
When I read this I imagined that you were dressed exactly like Frank TJ Mackey.
OKAY. good. But how can I remember? That's the problem. Even after "every day" for weeks, a 24 hr brain fart thing will happen and pft-crapola...forgotten!!!! ACk!!!
Well, it's March 1st. I'll try again. Something specific. Thanks!
Doing more than you're able to do? Sir, it's called a job. And muscling through the non-stop ranting of my sons and their mother to take care of what they need. And commuting through Delaware without killing myself or others -- willfully. And paying for a house that's more expensive and expansive than I care to think. And doing freelance work from midnight until 3 a.m. because that's the only time I get to myself. And trying to get 8 hours of sleep. And brushing my teeth three times a day, being sure to spend at least 2 minutes each brushing. And getting my oil changed every 3 months or 30,000 miles. And getting an annual physical. And an annual prostate exam. And not eating red meat because of the environment. And helping my kids with their insane amount of homework. And voting. And keeping my heart rate in the target zone for at least 1 hour a day, 5 days a week. And keeping a professional appearance at work. And mentoring those shitheads who are unlucky enough to come up under me. And not watching too much TV. And not letting my kids watch too much TV. And trying to stop the fucking toilet from running. And trying to get out of debt after a nasty divorce left me owing more than most U.S. citizens make in 5 years.
Sir, I'm glad you're feeling healthy, but if you think for one fucking minute that just setting your feet on the floor each morning is not enough, then we must agree to disagree.
You're spending too much time brushing your teeth, dude. You're gonna wear down the enamel.
I wrote stories about the half marathon and full marathon I ran which others have profesed to enjoy..let me know if your interested and I can shoot them to your email :) ps you'll injure yourself...it's only a matter of time. Just remember if it hurts several days in a row do something about it. You can get just as much diagnostic help online as you can at the docs. Crosstraining is a MUST! Good luck!
Can I give Ed a hug?
your attitude reminds me of mine in highschool vis-a-vis physical fitness. i'd frequently go until i threw up. eventually, i developed horribly popping knees, tendonitis, and a concussion from my workouts, but i was tough, dammit.
Poor Ed.
Cha, how you like me now, teeth? UGH!
I know that came off as empty rant. I just find it the ultimate challenge -- and beyond my personal ability -- to keep my particular house from crashing in on itself. By the way, in case it was lost in the original reply (as my shit is wont to be), I'm hella jealous. 'Proud' sounds a little too personal since I really have no idea who you are, but isn't entirely inaccurate. Suffice to say I'm daily tempted to abandon this fucker and rebuild, stopping myself for fear of recreating the exact same piece of shit elsewhere. Still, stopping by here like the coward I am to see how it's wearing on you before I try it on.
And you're god damned right I need a hug.
A. This is exactly why I stopped smoking.
B. This is also why I've been running everyday since reading the original post, weirdly enough.
C. I am glad to know that I'm not the only one who seeks injury undernearth it all.
Sigh. I told myself that I was going to do SOMETHING and follow your regime. And I've already failed. Except if I follow Ed, I'm ahead. What to do? What to do?
Man, I just hate running. I fucking hate it. February sucked.
But the good news is I've run every day in March so far. There's always March.
Regimen, please... regimen. I know that common parlance makes this acceptable, but it always punches me in the eyeballs.
(deep breath) Okay, that was more for me than it was for you. Sorry. (Yep, apologetic Canadian).
I wonder how many push-ups I can do every day.
You're like Denise Austin for cynics.
Fantastic.
I love the way you think. I knew there was something wrong with me.
Great post. I'm also a newbie runner....I do take 2 days off a week but I walk to work everyday and get in at least 4 miles a day just back and forth between work and home. Careful of those injuries...as I hop around from tendinitis from over doing it! Keep it up and take care of your house.
you have inspired me to run at least a mile everyday, myself. for i am like you: if i don't force myself to be uncomfortable and do something i don't want to do EVERY SINGLE DAY...then i'll take a break and the break will last a lifetime.
Interesting that you use the image of a house b/c that's what I'm starting to think I look like, which is why I'm trying to keep myself moving. But what I haven't figured out how to get past what I call The Rage Stage: part way through running I just feel like breaking into an enormous temper tantrum, which doesn't do anything for my ass.
Exactly. That's the stage you need to power through. Your entire will is manifesting as STOP but this is the crucial thing to ignore because there's a place - I SWEAR - beyond that stage where your will drops and you just run and run and feel mythic. It's worth it. Press on.
dude, this is awesome. My husband recently launched the same mission.
plus I read this quote and thought of you. Run on running man!
To pretend, I actually do the thing: I have therefore only pretended to pretend.
- Jacques Derrida